Disposable packaging system

ABSTRACT

Disclosed embodiments include apparatus configured to safely transport edible and non-edible products and to conveniently dispense the products as desired. A disclosed embodiment may include a body comprising a central portion defining comprising an upper portion defining a first opening configured to receive a liquid or solid material and a lower portion defining a second opening configured to discharge the liquid or solid material. The body may also include a top portion comprising a sealing mechanism configured to releasably seal the first opening and a bottom portion detachably connected to the central portion at the second opening. The apparatus may also include a strap connected to the body wherein the lower portion of the central portion is configured to be folded between the strap and the body after the bottom portion has been detached.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects described herein generally relate to a disposable packagingsystem for transporting edible and non-edible products.

BACKGROUND

Various disposable packaging systems for transporting edible andnon-edible products exist. Some of these have soft exterior surfaceswhile others may have hard exterior surfaces. In general, the disposablepackaging system has a cavity for holding the product until it isnecessary to dispense the stored product for use.

SUMMARY

A disposable packaging apparatus for transporting edible and non-edibleproducts comprising a body. The body comprising a central portiondefining a cavity. And, the central portion comprising an upper portiondefining a first opening configured to receive a liquid or solidmaterial. The central portion further comprising a lower portiondefining a second opening configured to discharge the liquid or solidmaterial. The body of the disposable packaging apparatus furthercomprises a top portion connected to the central portion at the firstopening. The top portion further comprises a sealing mechanismconfigured to releasably seal the first opening.

In some embodiments, the body of the disposable packaging apparatusfurther comprises a bottom portion detachably connected to the centralportion at the second opening, wherein the second opening is sealed bythe bottom portion when the bottom portion is attached to the centralportion and unsealed when the bottom portion is detached from thecentral portion. The body also comprises a detachment mechanismconfigured to allow the bottom portion to be detached from the centralportion. And, the disposable packaging apparatus also disposes a strapconnected to the body wherein the lower portion of the central portionmay be folded between the strap and the body when the bottom portion hasbeen detached.

In some embodiments, the central portion is disposed between the topportion and the bottom portion. In some embodiments, the width of thecavity is tapered from the top portion to the bottom portion. The bodymay be formed of a polymeric material. In some embodiments, the body maybe formed of metallocene. And, in other embodiments, the body may beformed of a medical grade low density poly ethylene.

The detachment mechanism may comprise a distorted section in someembodiments. The distorted section may be a perforated strip. And, inother embodiments, the distorted section may comprise a laser-scoredstrip. The detachment mechanism may comprise a notch in someembodiments. And, the notch can be laser-scored. The body may alsocomprise a skirt disposed at the edge of the body.

In another embodiment, the disposable packaging apparatus may comprise abody comprising a central portion disposed between a top portion and acentral portion, and defining a cavity therein. The central portion maycomprise an upper portion defining a first opening configured to receivea liquid or solid material. And the central portion may further comprisea lower portion defining a second opening configured to discharge theliquid or solid material.

In some embodiments, the body of the disposable packaging apparatus mayfurther comprise a top portion connected to the central portion at thefirst opening. The top portion may comprise a sealing mechanismcomprising a male track disposed on a first flap and a female trackdisposed on a second flap wherein the sealing mechanism is configured toreleasably seal the first opening when the male and female tracks arefastened together.

And, the body of the disposable packaging apparatus may further comprisea bottom portion detachably connected to the second opening wherein thesecond opening is sealed when the bottom portion is attached andunsealed when the bottom portion is detached. The body may also comprisea skirt disposed at the edge of the body in some embodiments. And, insome embodiments, the body may comprise a detachment mechanismconfigured to allow the bottom portion to be detached from the centralportion. The detachment mechanism can comprise a notch disposed on theskirt. And, the disposable packaging apparatus may also comprise a strapconnected to the body wherein the lower portion of the central portionmay be folded between the strap and the body when the bottom portion hasbeen detached. Furthermore, the width of cavity is tapered from the topsection to the bottom section in some embodiments.

The body may be formed of a polymeric material. In some embodiments, thebody may be formed of metallocene. And, in other embodiments, the bodymay be formed of a medical grade low density poly ethylene.

In some embodiments, the detachment mechanism further comprises adistorted section. And, the distorted section comprises a perforatedstrip in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the distorted sectioncomprises a laser-scored strip. Furthermore, the notch may be laserscored in some embodiments.

Other variations, embodiments and features of the present disclosurewill become evident from the following detailed description, drawingsand claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is one embodiment of a disposable packaging apparatus.

FIG. 2 is one embodiment of a disposable packaging apparatus.

FIG. 3 depicts one embodiment of a first flap of the disposablepackaging apparatus.

FIG. 4 depicts one embodiment of a second flap of the disposablepackaging apparatus.

FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of the first portion of the disposablepackaging apparatus.

FIG. 6 depicts one embodiment of a disposable packaging apparatus.

FIG. 7 depicts one embodiment of a disposable packaging apparatus.

FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a disposable packaging apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Users have a need to safely transport edible and non-edible products ina disposable packaging system and conveniently dispense the product fromthe disposable packaging system. Typical disposable packaging systemsmay provide adequate leakage protection and sealing, but it can bedifficult and inconvenient to neatly dispense products from thedisposable packaging systems. The present disposable packaging apparatusallows convenient product discharge while preventing leakage andmaintaining an effective seal.

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that theembodiments disclosed herein can be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential character thereof. Thepresently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respectsto be illustrative and not restrictive.

FIG. 1 is a disposable packaging apparatus 10 according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 10 includes a body 7having a first portion 12, a second portion 18, and a central portion14. In some embodiments, the first portion 12, may be a top portion andthe second portion 18 may be a bottom portion. In some embodiments, thecentral portion 18 defines a cavity 1. And, in some embodiments, thecentral portion 14 further comprises an upper portion 37 and a lowerportion 38. In general, the body includes a cavity 1 for storing theproduct. It will be appreciated that the cavity 1 can be formed into avariety of shapes. In some embodiments, the cavity 1 may have a tubularshape. And in some embodiments, the cavity 1 may be tapered so that oneend is narrower than another end. The cavity 1 may also comprise adiamond shape in some embodiments. And, in some embodiments, the cavity1 may have a funnel shape. The cavity 1 can also be formed into anyother shape in different embodiments.

The cavity 1 may comprise a first opening 2, and a second opening 3. Thefirst opening 2 may be defined by the upper portion 37 of the centralportion 14 and the second opening 3 may be defined by the lower portion38 of the central portion 14. The apparatus 10 can be configured so thatthe first portion 12 is connected to the central portion 14 at the firstopening 2, which allows a solid or liquid material or product to beintroduced into the cavity 1 through the first opening 2. After theproduct has been received into the cavity 1, it can be stored thereuntil the user decides to dispense it through the second opening 3. Insome embodiments, the first opening 2 and the second opening 3 are thesame size. But, in other embodiments, the first opening 2 and the secondopening 3 are different sizes. In some embodiments, the first opening 2is larger than the second opening 3. A large first opening 2 may beutilized so a user can easily introduce a product into the cavity 1.And, a small second opening 3 may be beneficial for dispensing a productout of the cavity 1 in a controlled manner. A tapered cavity 1, as ispresent in some embodiments, also can help the user control thedispensation of the product.

In some embodiments, the first portion 12 may comprise a sealingmechanism 6. The sealing mechanism 6 may be configured to releasablyseal the first opening 2. This allows a user to open the apparatus 10 tointroduce product into the cavity 1, and reseal the cavity 1 with thesealing mechanism 6 after the product has been received into the cavity1. The seal produced by the sealing mechanism 6 may be airtight orwatertight. This sealing functionality allows the user to convenientlystore the product in the apparatus 10 and seal the cavity 1 to protectthe product from leaking, spilling, or becoming contaminated by dust,dirt, liquid or other unwanted materials. The apparatus 10 can alsoeasily be carried and transported while safely storing the product. Inan alternative embodiment, the first portion 12 can be heat sealed toprovide permanent closure after the product has been introduced into thecentral portion 14.

The first portion 12 can be configured so that the user can easily sealand unseal the sealing mechanism 6. In some embodiments, the firstportion may 12 comprise a first flap 4 and a second flap 5 as depictedin FIGS. 3 and 4. In some embodiments the lengths and widths of thefirst flap 4 and the second flap 5 are identical. In other embodiments,the length of the first flap 4 is greater than the length of the secondflap 5. This gives the first flap 4 an edge 36 that extends beyond thesurface of the second flap 5. Such an embodiment is depicted in FIG. 5.This extra length will make it easier for a user to separate the flapsand unseal the sealing mechanism 6. In other embodiments the second flap5 is longer than the first flap 4 and has an edge that extends beyondthe surface of the first flap 4.

The first portion 12 includes an opening (not shown) whereby a productcan be brought through the first opening 2 and into the cavity 1. Asdescribed above, the first portion 12 comprises a sealing mechanism 6whereby the first opening 2 of the cavity 1 may be sealed and unsealedas desired by the user. This protects the product from contamination andprevents it from escaping out of first opening 2.

The product is prevented from escaping from the second opening 3 by thesecond portion 18. The second portion 18 is detachably connected to thecentral portion 14. When the second portion is attached to the centralportion 18, the second portion seals the second opening 3 and preventsthe product from exiting the cavity 1 from the second opening 3. Whenthe second portion 18 is detached from the central portion 14, thesecond opening 3 becomes unsealed and a user can dispense the productfrom the cavity 1. In some embodiments, the second portion 18 ispermanently detached after it is removed from the central portion 14.

The second portion 18 may be detached from the body 7 by a detachmentmechanism 8 configured to allow the second portion 18 to be detachedfrom the second opening 3. In some embodiments, the second portion 18comprises the detachment mechanism 8. In other embodiments, thedetachment mechanism 8 is disposed between the second portion 18 and thecentral portion 14. In some embodiments, the detachment mechanism 8 isdisposed on a skirt 35, as depicted in FIG. 6. And, in other embodimentsthe detachment mechanism may be located elsewhere.

In some embodiments, the detachment mechanism 8 comprises a distortedsection 9 that is configured to allow the second portion 18 to bedetached from the central portion 14. One such embodiment is illustratedby arrows A to B in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the distorted section 9comprises a strip of perforated material. In some embodiments, thedistorted section 9 is a laser-scored strip. A distorted sectioncomprising a laser-scored strip can reduce the likelihood of leakage atthe second opening 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the distorted section 9 canextend across the width of the second portion 18 of the body 7. But, inother embodiments, the distorted section 9 may not extend across thefull width of the second portion 18. In some embodiments, the distortedsection 9 comprises the same material as the body 7. In otherembodiments the distorted section 9 is formed of a different materialthan the body 7.

In other embodiments, the detachment mechanism 8 comprises a notch 31,which can be used to detach the second portion 18 from the centralportion 14 by pulling at the notch and tearing away the second portion18. One such embodiment is depicted in FIG. 6. Some embodiments pair thenotch 31 with a distorted section 9 to comprise the detachmentmechanism. In other embodiments, the notch 31 is not paired with adistorted section 9. In some embodiments, the notch 31 comprises alaser-scored material.

In some embodiments the body 7 comprises a skirt 35. One such embodimentis depicted in FIG. 6. The skirt 35 may comprise excess material alongthe edge of the body 7. However, in other embodiments, the skirt may notextend around the edge of the entire body 7. In some embodiments, theskirt 35 only extends along the edge of the second portion 18. The skirt35 is formed of the same material as the body 7 in some embodiments. Inother embodiments, the skirt 35 is formed of a different material thanthe body 7. In some embodiments, the skirt 35 may be thicker than thebody 7. But in other embodiments, the skirt 35 has the same thickness,or is less thick than the body 7. In some embodiments, the detachmentmechanism 8 is disposed on the skirt 35. In one such embodiment, thedetachment mechanism 8 comprises a notch 31. In another such embodiment,the detachment mechanism 8 comprises a distorted section 9 disposed onthe skirt 35. Placing the detachment mechanism 8 on the skirt 35 isdesirable in some embodiments to reduce leaking because the skirt 35does not store any product.

Returning to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, at least a section 16 of thecentral portion 14 is sealed so as to prevent the product from beingreceived therein. In another embodiment, the section 16 can be heatsealed. As shown, the section 16 of the central portion 14 that issealed can be sealed about the edges of the body. Doing so results inthe formation of a funnel-shaped central portion 14.

In one embodiment, the central portion 14 is between the first portion12 and the second portion 18. In another embodiment, the first portion14 and the second portion 18 are on opposite ends of the body 7.

FIGS. 3 and 4 depict one embodiment of the sealing mechanism 6. In thisembodiment, the first flap 4 of the first portion 12, as shown in FIG.3, comprises a male track 32. And the second flap 5, as shown in FIG. 4,comprises a female track 33. A releasable seal can be created bypressing the male track 32 and the female track 33 together. Thisembodiment allows the user to conveniently unseal the first opening 2 soproduct can be introduced into the cavity 1 and seal the first opening 2so the product can be stored in the cavity 1. In other embodiments, thesecond flap 5 comprises the male track 32 and the first flap 4 comprisesthe female track 33. In one embodiment, the sealing mechanism 6 furthercomprises a sliding press (not shown) that is configured to slide alongthe track and seal the first opening 2. And, as can be appreciated,alternative sealing mechanisms can be utilized. Also mentioned above,the first portion 12 can be heat sealed to provide permanent closureafter the product has been introduced into the central portion 14. Inother embodiments, an adhesive can be used to permanently seal the firstopening 2. In some embodiments, the first flap 4, may include anadhesive strip that is covered by a peal-away strip. When the userwishes to seal the first opening 2, the peal-away strip can be removed,and the adhesive strip can be pressed to the second flap 5 therebycreating a seal. And, in still further embodiments, permanent sealingcan be achieved by other means known in the art.

In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 1, the product is capable ofbeing discharged from the central portion 14 of the body as can beillustrated by arrow Y. The discharge process can take place after thesecond portion 18 has been removed from the central portion 14 of thebody. In some embodiments, the body 7 includes a tubular configuration.In some embodiments, the body 7 is tapered from the first portion 12 tothe second portion 18. Some embodiments may have a funnel-shaped body.And in some embodiments, the body 7 is formed in a diamond shape. Thisembodiment will help the user control the product discharge from thecavity 1. In other embodiments, the body 7 includes any polygonalconfiguration.

In one embodiment 7, the body can be formed of a polymeric material. Inanother embodiment, the body 7 can be formed of a plastic or cornmaterial. In some embodiments, the body 7 is formed of medical grade lowdensity poly ethylene. And, in some other embodiments, the body 7 isformed of Mettalocene. In yet another embodiment, the body 7 can beformed of any suitable biodegradable material. As can be appreciated,the body 7 can be comprised of any color of material, a transparentmaterial, or a translucent material. A transparent material may behelpful so a user can see into the cavity 1 to determine what type ofproduct is being stored. Different color materials may be helpful tousers for organizational or decorative purposes. In some embodiments thebody 7 may be comprised of more than one type of material, or more thanone color of material. In some embodiments, the body 7 may also comprisea writeable surface so a user can write on the body.

FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the apparatus 10 further comprising astrap 34 attached to the body 7. The strap 34 provides a way to securethe second portion 18 to the central portion 14. In such an embodiment,the second portion 18 can be tucked into the strap 34 for ease oftransport.

In some embodiments, the strap 34 can also be used to secure the secondopening 3 after the second opening 3 has been unsealed for productdischarge. After a user detaches the second portion 18 and dischargesthe desired amount of product from the second opening 3, the remainingproduct can be stored by tucking or folding the lower portion 38 of thecentral portion 14 into the strap 34. In different embodiments, thestrap 34 is located at different places. In can be disposed on the firstportion 12 or central portions 14 of the body in some embodiments. Insome embodiments, the location of the strap 34 is configured so that thelower portion 38 of the central portion 14 can be tucked or folded intothe strap 34 when there are varying amounts of product being stored inthe cavity 1. In some embodiments, the strap 34 is formed of the samematerial as the body 7. And, in other embodiments, the strap 34 isformed of a material that is different from the material used to formthe body 7. The strap 34 may have a writable surface in someembodiments. The strap 34 may be elastic, in some embodiments, so thatthe second opening of the cavity 1 can be tightly secured. And, in someembodiments, additional, or alternative means can be used to tighten thestrap 34.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 10 comprises a plurality of straps34. In some embodiments, both sides of the body 7 have a strap 34. Inother embodiments, straps 34 can be disposed on a single side of thebody 7. In some embodiments, straps 34 can be arranged latitudinally ona side of the body 7. One such embodiment is depicted if FIG. 7 Thisarrangement can provide additional support to hold the lower portion 38in place when it tucked into the straps 34. In other embodiments, straps34 can be arranged to crisscross, which can also provide added supportto hold the second opening 3 of the cavity 1 in place when it is tuckedinto the straps 34. One such embodiment is depicted in FIG. 8.

In one embodiment, the product that is introduced is an edible productsuch as food or dressing. In another embodiment, the product that isintroduced is a non-edible product such as make-up or lotion. In someembodiments, the product may be any suitable viscous, liquid, or solidmaterials including but not limited to powders.

FIG. 2 is a disposable packaging apparatus 20 according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 20 includes a bodyhaving a first portion 22, a second portion 28, and a central portion24. The first portion 22 includes an opening for introducing a productinto the central portion 24 as can be illustrated by X. In general, thebody includes a cavity 21 for storing the product. The second portion 28includes a distorted section configured to dissociate a part of thesecond portion from the body as can be illustrated by arrows C to D viaa series of perforations. As shown, the distorted section can extendacross the width of the second portion 28 of the body. Once dissociated,a part 21 of the second portion 28 can be removed or detached from thebody or the central portion 24 of the apparatus 20.

In one embodiment, at least a section 26 of the central portion 24 issealed so as to prevent the product from being received therein. Inanother embodiment, the section 26 can be heat sealed. As shown, thesection 26 of the central portion 24 that is sealed can be sealed aboutthe edges of the body. Doing so results in the formation of adiamond-shaped central portion 24.

In one embodiment, the central portion 24 is between the first portion22 and the second portion 28. In another embodiment, the first portion24 and the second portion 28 are on opposite ends of the body. The firstportion 22 can be secured after the product has been introduced into thecentral portion 24. For example, the first portion 22 can include awatertight seal such as opposing male/female tracks that can be engagedby pressure or fastener. In the alternative, the first portion 22 can beheat sealed to provide permanent closure after the product has beenintroduced into the central portion 24.

In one embodiment, the product is capable of being discharged from thecentral portion 24 of the body as can be illustrated by arrow Y. Thedischarge process can take place after the distorted section has beenremoved from the second portion 28 of the body. In some embodiments, thebody includes a tubular configuration. In other embodiments, the bodyincludes any polygonal configuration.

In one embodiment, the body can be formed of a polymeric material. Insome embodiments, the body 7 is formed of medical grade low density polyethylene. And, in some other embodiments, the body 7 is formed ofMettalocene. In another embodiment, the body can be formed of a plasticor corn material. In yet another embodiment, the body can be formed ofany suitable biodegradable material. And, as can be appreciated by oneskilled in the art, a variety of other material may be used to form thebody.

In one embodiment, the product that is introduced is an edible productsuch as food or dressing. In another embodiment, the product that isintroduced is a non-edible product such as make-up or lotion. In someembodiments, the product may be any suitable viscous or liquid material.In this embodiment, the apparatus 20 further includes a writable surface23 about one of the first portion 22, the second portion 28, or thecentral portion 24 of the body.

In operation, a method of using a disposable packaging apparatus 10, 20includes providing a body having a first portion, a second portion, anda central portion. Concomitant to the providing step, distorting asection of the second portion so as to enable a part of the secondportion to be dissociated from the body, and sealing a section of thecentral portion. And introducing a product into the central portion froman opening of the first portion, where the product is prevented frombeing received in the sealed section of the central portion.

In one embodiment, the providing step includes providing the centralportion between the first portion and the second portion. In anotherembodiment, the providing step includes providing the first portion andthe second portion being on opposite ends of the body. In someembodiments, the method further includes securing the first portionafter the product has been introduced into the central portion. In otherembodiments, the method further includes dissociating the distortedsection of the second portion from the body, and discharging the productfrom the central portion of body.

In one embodiment, the sealing step includes sealing the section of thecentral portion about the edges of the body. In some embodiments,concomitant to the providing step, the method includes forming awritable surface about one of the first portion, the second portion, andthe central portion of the body.

In one embodiment, the providing step includes providing the body havinga tubular configuration. In another embodiment, the providing stepincludes forming the body of a polymeric material. In one example, theintroducing step includes introducing an edible product. In anotherexample, the introducing step includes introducing a non-edible product.In some embodiments, the distorting step includes the distorted sectionextending across the width of the second portion of the body.

Although the disclosure has been described in detail with reference toseveral embodiments, additional variations and modifications existwithin the scope and spirit of the disclosure as described and definedin the following claims

1. An apparatus comprising: a body comprising: a central portiondefining a cavity therein and comprising: an upper portion defining afirst opening configured to receive a liquid or solid material; and alower portion defining a second opening configured to discharge theliquid or solid material; and a top portion connected to the centralportion at the first opening and comprising a sealing mechanismconfigured to releasably seal the first opening; a bottom portiondetachably connected to the central portion at the second opening,wherein the second opening is sealed by the bottom portion when thebottom portion is attached to the central portion and unsealed when thebottom portion is detached from the central portion; a detachmentmechanism configured to allow the bottom portion to be detached from thecentral portion; and a strap connected to the body wherein the lowerportion of the central portion is configured to be folded between thestrap and the body after the bottom portion has been detached.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the central portion is disposed betweenthe top portion and the bottom portion.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the width of the cavity is tapered from the top portion to thebottom portion.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body is formedof a polymeric material.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thedetachment mechanism further comprises a distorted section.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 5, wherein the distorted section comprises aperforated strip.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the distortedsection comprises a laser-scored strip.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the detachment mechanism comprises a notch.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 8, wherein the notch is laser scored.
 10. The apparatus of claim1, where the body further comprises a skirt disposed at the edge of thebody.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body is formed of amedical grade low density poly ethylene.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the body is formed of metallocene.
 13. An apparatus comprising:a body comprising: a central portion disposed between a top portion anda central portion, defining a cavity therein and comprising: an upperportion defining a first opening configured to receive a liquid or solidmaterial; and a lower portion defining a second opening configured todischarge the liquid or solid material; and a top portion connected tothe central portion at the first opening and comprising; a sealingmechanism comprising a male track disposed on a first flap and a femaletrack disposed on a second flap wherein the sealing mechanism isconfigured to releasably seal the first opening when the male and femaletracks are fastened together; a bottom portion detachably connected tothe second opening wherein the second opening is sealed when the bottomportion is attached and unsealed when the bottom portion is detached; askirt disposed at the edge of the body; a detachment mechanismconfigured to allow the bottom portion to be detached from the centralportion and comprising: a notch disposed on the skirt; and a strapconnected to the body wherein the lower portion of the central portionis configured to be folded between the strap and the body after thebottom portion has been detached; and wherein the width of the cavity istapered from the top section to the bottom section.
 14. The apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein the body is formed of a polymeric material.
 15. Theapparatus of claim 13 wherein the body is formed of a medical grade lowdensity poly ethylene.
 16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the body isformed of metallocene.
 17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein thedetachment mechanism further comprises a distorted section.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 17, wherein the distorted section comprises aperforated strip.
 19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the distortedsection comprises a laser-scored strip.
 20. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein the notch is laser scored.